Art Students Create Mural for Conference with HFA Support
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For nearly 40 years, researchers, scholars, policymakers and others have been gathering at conferences of The International Association of the Study of the Commons (“IASC”). The organization, which takes a multidisciplinary approach, draws together researchers, scholars, and policy makers from around the globe to look at "sustainable solutions for commons, common-pool resources, or any other form of shared resource."
This year, for the first time, two student artists from the UMass Art Department were commissioned to create a mural to be unveiled at the conference, a project that was financially supported by the College of Humanities and Fine Arts.
Artists K. F. Otis, BFA in Studio Arts: Intermedia with Dept. Honors, and Edwina Polanco, BFA in Painting say, "When we arrived at the conference to participate in the unveiling speech, we watched as many IASC organizers took group photos in front of the mural. It was surreal to say the least."
Charles Schweik, the IASC’s regional coordinator, informed the artists that commissioning students to collaborate on an IASC mural had been new to the conference. "To know that we are the first to be involved in a potentially long-standing tradition at the IASC is an absolute honor," Otis and Polanco say.
We asked Otis and Polanco to tell us more about the project's creation, below.
Q: How did you approach the conference theme of “Regenerating the Commons” in your mural, and what ideas or imagery did you want to convey through your work?
Otis and Polanco: The theme “Regenerating the Commons” is indeed the overall scope of the mural. However, the work includes a variety of IASC subthemes: from digital databases and humanities to global landscape and celestial space. We did our best to integrate key components of the commons not just visually, but in the physical processes of creation. It is within the abstract details or “hidden” layers of the mural, working together, that we feel best represents the organization’s efforts to revive the commons. Every little bit counts.
Q: Can you walk us through the process of creating the mural—from concept to installation? What were some of the key decisions you made along the way?
Otis and Polanco: It was our primary objective to unite our creative practices not just in a way that represents us as artists, but as individuals actively engaging with the commons. It made sense to utilize an age-old substrate such as cotton canvas, incorporate digital imaging and printmaking, and build upon this with traditional mediums such as acrylic paint and chalk pastels. This unification of mediums offers respect to the past while also acknowledging the present and future of the commons.
In addition to the visual concept, there were physical stipulations for the mural: one being it had to be easily transportable. Transportation and storage were, in part, why we decided on unstretched canvas panels.
We started with sketches of tree rings which slowly morphed into cartographic representations. Circular genome mapping, aerial photography, circuit boards, bathymetry and topography were also used for inspiration. Once we decided on the cyanotype “underpainting” design, the working title became “Sea to Sky” which, in essence, still encompasses the concept.
We did have to make two decisions late in the process:
The use of acrylic pen. This addition beautifully lifts certain details into the foreground and enhances the visual depth of the piece.
Without knowing where the mural would be exhibited, we prepared six panels of foam core backing to use as temporary install material. This ended up working well for the space, as the mural was suspended by the foam core backing from the ceiling without damaging the canvas.
Q: You incorporated a wide range of techniques and materials, from cyanotypes to chalk pastels—what inspired these choices?
Otis and Polanco: The IASC is a vast community of scholars from regions all around the world. As such, we decided to weave conference themes into the crafting itself rather than risk visual misrepresentation. Instead of observing the mural as one abstract piece (or six adjacent panels), it might be helpful to imagine the mural in its six primary layers and three integrated sublayers:
- Digital Files: communication, software (digital commons)
- Cotton Canvas: lands, heritage (indigenous commons)
- Cyanotype Treatment: sustainable practices
- Negatives: technology, innovation (knowledge commons)
- UV Light: solar energy
- Water: shared resources
- Cyanotype “Underpainting”: architecture, infrastructure (urban commons)
- Acrylic Paint/Pen: magnetic fields, ecology, waterways, weather patterns (environmental commons)
- Chalk Pastel: cosmos, celestial (space commons)
Q: What did you take away from the experience of creating public art for an international academic audience?
Otis and Polanco: Creating public art for an international academic audience comes with a great amount of responsibility, but also an immense amount of pride. Not only were we offered a paid opportunity for an artistic collaboration, we’ve gained experience in the process of working on a professional project. We were able to exercise our working knowledge of budget proposals, concept research and slide pitches, progress reporting, speech writing, and oral presentation. Remarkably, we may have covered everything we’ve learned in college over the past four years in one single project. That said, we’ve also learned what it feels like to embrace ownership as a team, and take pride in presenting as professional artists to a widely respected audience.
Q: How has your time in the Department of Art at UMass Amherst prepared you for projects like this?
Otis and Polanco: We had to make a lot of technical decisions throughout this project, decisions that could have led to budgeting issues. For example, preparing digital files for cyanotype negative printing is a specific process and mistakes are costly. In addition, the painting techniques used were honed by years of experimentation and peer critique; key stages of the mural depended on how the acrylic paint was applied and dried. Every technical decision we made was successful thanks to the experience we’ve gained in the Department of Art at UMass.
Q: Any advice to current or future students?
Otis and Polanco: Take advantage of the artistic freedom that foundation courses offer. These are opportunities to challenge yourself, experiment with materials and processes, immerse yourself in the concepts that interest you, and gain valuable feedback.
A lot of students overlook the importance of networking. Foster connections and collaborate with others, especially those who inspire you.
Even the busiest person will always find time!
Q: Anything else you’d like to share?
Otis and Polanco: We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve the IASC. We’d like to thank project manager Sophia Schweik for facilitating the project, IASC’s regional coordinator Charles Schweik for his unwavering support, and the HFA Department for investing in this collaborative endeavor. Last but certainly not least, we’d also like to thank the Department of Art faculty for their support, Mikaël Petraccia and the Digital Print Lab, and the UMass Campus Center staff members who assisted with installation/deinstallation. We appreciate you all.
Artist Portfolios
K.F. Otis: https://www.kfotis.com/
Edwina: https://www.epolanco.com/
Conference Information:
https://2025.iasc-commons.org/welcome-introduction/
https://2025.iasc-commons.org/conference-theme-and-sub-themes/